This winter it snowed a lot in the Alps and so spring ski tour conditions are still good if you go high. Arno suggested the "Winnebacher Weisskogel" (3182 m) from Luesens as an objective. The tour is described here:
http://www.bergsteigen.com/skitour/tirol/stubaier-alpen/winnebacher-weisskogel-von-luesens
This is to the SouthWest of Innsbruck and already starts at 1600 m. Here is Arno starting with full snow cover even though it is already mid April...
... and here is the first steeper bit that leads to a long glen with several branches.
From the higher glen we ascended westwards to the Westfalenhaus, which was already open.
From roughly 2500 m Arno and I felt the altitude. Here I am near the summit. It looks easy but it was turned into a bowl with steep sides and I had to add my harscheisen's to avoid sliding down the hill.
Just before the summit the sun came out and we saw many peaks of the Stubaier Alps...
... and beyond.
Here Arno starts to return to the ski depot.
The climbing temperatures and the sun softened the snow so that the descent was mostly easy skiing on "firn" rather than hard neve.
Easy navigation...
... and good vistas...
... on the way to the Westfalenhaus where we had a "Cheese Knoedelsoup"...
... and a Weissbier sans alcohol. From there a final descent to the lower glen and start of the route. Surely this is the last act in a winter with many days on skis although most of the time these were on Nordic skis.
HW
